Tiger Time News

News from O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young Pedevilla

Tiger Time News

News from O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young Pedevilla

February 3, 2019

Dear O.C. Taylor Parents,

This past week I had the privilege of learning in Austin at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Conference and being a facilitator at the Principals' Visioning Institute. Several GCISD administrators were at the conference as well. On the second day, in front of thousands of school administrators, I was able to see the GCISD Colleyville Heritage Panther Chorale perform. We were all so proud of our GCISD students, some of whom attended O.C. Taylor for elementary school! Time will fly by and your little Tiger will be in high school preparing to go to college. It is never too soon to talk about college and what your child may want to do for a living one day and how they will want to make this world a better place. Our O.C. Taylor teachers are striving to empower your children today, so they can make a better tomorrow.

I hope to see you Tuesday evening at Spring Creek Barbeque! O.C. Taylor will secure 20% of the total profits from the night. It is great to come, eat, and see friends!

To the BEST of days,

Principal Pedevilla

Stay Connected at O. C. Taylor Elementary School

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Website: The school’s website has the latest news, updates, and calendars, as well as general information about the school, resources for parents, volunteer opportunity information, event information and ways to donate.

OCT and GCISD Updates

Reminder: Afternoon Car Line Pick Up

Yellow Car Signs

In an effort to efficiently dismiss 450 students in a safe and timely manner, please make sure your yellow car sign is clearly visible in your front windshield when picking your child up at the end of the day. The teachers and staff on duty are noticing that some cars are in need of a yellow car sign for the spring semester. If you need one, please email your teacher or speak with Gene Guinane in the office and we will make sure we get one for you as soon as possible. Thank you for your help!

H.U.G.S.

TTT is collecting HATS, UNDERWEAR, GLOVES, and SOCKS (new in packages) to donate to GRACE. There will be collection boxes in each hall. This is not a competition between grade levels... just another way to give back to families in our community that need some extra help. The collection is from January 24th until February 15.

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Love Your Device

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Spring Creek Spirit Night - Feb. 5

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Lost and Found

Please remember to check the lost and found! We have a lot of coats, jackets, shirts, hats, water bottles, lunch boxes, and more piling up!

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Webville Outlaws

We are studying the Webville Outlaws. For the next two weeks, we will be talking about Potty-Mouth Pete. Please reinforce at home to immediately report to a TRUSTED ADULT.

Potty-Mouth Pete uses mean or rude language. Potty-Mouth Pete also uses peer pressure to get you to talk bad about other people or to say mean words.

Updates from Music, Mrs. Vencill

Beautiful music fills the air in the O.C. Taylor Music room!!! Our talented Tigers continue to impress me every day with all they can learn, create and perform when they work together and use a growth mindset. Our minds are definitely growing in lots of exciting ways.

Kindergarten: Our Kinder Tigers are working together to practice their folk dances and cowboy/cowgirl songs for the Kindergarten Rodeo. We hope to see all Kindergarten parents, family and friends in the OCT cafeteria Friday, March 1 at 2 p.m. for a rootin', tootin' good time.

1st Grade: Our first graders have the important job of performing in the Music In Our Schools Celebration Thursday, March 28 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Parents - please mark your calendars. All first graders are expected to attend BOTH performances!! This program celebrates MUSIC education and all of the important things music adds to our lives. 1st graders are not only learning lots of fun songs and dances, they are also learning what it means to be a good performer. Talk to your first grader about proper performance etiquette!

2nd Grade: Our 2nd graders continue remembering what they know about note value and learning how to add pitch to their rhythms. We will connect what we're learning about rhythm and pitch to songs from around the world as we begin preparing for the 2nd Grade Festival of Friends program on Thursday, May 2 at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ALL 2nd graders are expected to attend so please mark your calendars now!

3rd Grade: Third graders are working hard to become more comfortable reading notes from the treble clef staff. Reading music is an important skill that they will carry through 4th and 5th grade. We will use Orff instruments to play simple melodic patterns.

4th Grade: If you haven't listened to your 4th grader play the recorder ask them for a mini performance! They sound GREAT! We will continue working towards earning a new Recorder Karate belt each week by learning and playing new songs on our recorders.

5th Grade: It's hard to believe our 5th graders will begin talking to middle school counselors this month. We will remember/review instrument families and how sound is produced in each family so they will be prepared to make smart decisions if they choose band as a middle school elective. 5th graders will also dive into the beginning stages of creating their final show, Fifth Grade ROCKS! Parents, please mark your calendars for this exciting program - Thursday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ALL 5th graders are expected to attend BOTH performances!!

See you in the Music room!

Mrs. Vencill

Music Teacher

O.C. Taylor Elementary School

817-305-4870

@OCTVencill #OCT4U

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Update from Art, Mrs. Morgan

Students have been working hard learning about Art History. Each grade has started learning about their famous artist, as well as looking at and discussing some of their work!

-Kindergarten is learning about the artist Pablo Picasso. They will be learning how to draw a self-portrait based on Picasso’s Cubism. They will also be reviewing shape names, as well as secondary and primary colors.

-First grade is learning about the artist Henri Matisse. They will be learning about his two types of art, paintings and paper cut outs. Students will be creating a goldfish still life with organic and geometric shapes, as well as how to create paper cutouts.

-Second grade is learning about the artist Vincent Van Gogh. They will learn about the foreground and background of a painting. Students will create their own modern version of Starry Night.

-Third grade is learning about the artist Frida Kahlo. They will be learning how to draw a self-portrait, using the correct proportions of the face. They will then create a background of their choice by adding some of their favorite things.

-Fourth grade is learning about the abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. They will be learning how to create an abstract piece using a variety of lines, shapes and balance. They will then learn how blend watercolors for their background.

-Fifth grade is learning about the art movement Pop Art. They will be learning about the different artist that helped create Pop Art. They will choose one of the artists to be inspired by and select the medium of their choice. They will use color theory in order to create their Pop Art piece.

Cristie Morgan

Art Teacher

O.C. Taylor Elementary School

Twitter-@OCTMorgan

817-305-4870

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Updates from P.E., Coach Mester and Coach Mac

I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was with our level of pickleball play this year! We had a blast learning serves, forehands, backhands, and volleys. We are putting the pickleball nets away and getting out a different net. That’s right, it is Newcomb time! We will be playing Newcomb and working on some volleyball skills. Finally, we will continue to improve our fitness levels by performing challenging warmups and jogging everyday. See you in the gym!

Coach Mester

Physical Education Teacher

O.C. Taylor Elem.

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Updates from the Learning Commons, Mrs. Bonacci

LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

If you are interested in helping out in the Learning Commons (Formerly known as the Library) please email me at dawn.bonacci@gcisd.net

Children seem to always have their heads buried in their computers, so here is a very helpful link for free apps/games to load on the computer to help support your dyslexic child or one who may struggle with reading.

Updates from the Clinic, Nurse Katy

Handwashing Incentive: With cold/flu season upon us, we have started the High Five hand washing incentive again. I will be handing out "High Fives" to students who I see performing proper hand washing while at the bathrooms or in the clinic. - Use warm, soapy water whenever possible. - Sing ABCs or the Happy Birthday song twice. - Scrub in between fingers and underneath the fingernails.

Flu-like illnesses: If your child is home sick with fever/cough/sore throat, or if they were diagnosed with the flu, please let us know when calling the front office. I have to report all flu-like illnesses to Tarrant County weekly.

Eyeglasses:Please consider donating any old or broken eyeglasses for a good cause, as these can be reused and recycled for the less fortunate who may need glasses. You can drop them off in the front office or clinic. At the end of the year, Lions, Leos and other volunteers will collect the eyeglasses and deliver them to regional Eyeglass Recycling Centers. Thank you in advance! :)

If your child is absent during the school day due to illness:They should not be at school for any extra-curricular activities (choir practice, yearbook, talent show rehearsals, etc.) They should not be at school to eat lunch with a sibling or friend. They should not be at school for parent-teacher conferences, ARDs, or 504s. Thank you for helping our Tiger staff and students stay healthy!!!

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You Art What You Eat Contest

You Art What You Eat Contest The Texas Department of Agriculture's (TDA) annual You Art What You Eat statewide student art contest is here! The student art contest offers Texas students a chance to earn statewide recognition for themselves and their school. Student winners receive a custom prize package and their artwork will inspire the design for TDA's National School Lunch Week and School Breakfast Week campaigns!

To enter the art contest, students w ill create artwork highlighting good nutrition and TDA's theme for National School Lunch Week 2019 / School Breakfast Week 2020. The new theme is "Save the Day with a Healthy School Lunch/ Breakfast" This year TDA provides teachers with a new , easy way to upload and submit student entries.

The Submission Packet and Guidelines can be found online at www.SquareMeals.org/artcontest. The submissions deadline is April 12, 2019. Please join TDA in encouraging students to focus their artistic talents on healthy school meals by entering the You Art What You Eat statewide student art contest.

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Spring Parent Technology Academy Sessions

GCISD Technology is excited to announce our Spring Session line up with several new sessions. Stay tuned as more will be added to our list as we keep receiving the request from the community.

More than 5 million kids may be addicted to video games. 31% of males and 12 % of females report that have felt addicted to gaming. Come to hear from Dr Kay Trotter, PhD, LPC-s, RPT-S from local Kaleidoscope Behavioral Health as she discusses the signs and symptoms of this growing addiction. Learn some tips and be a part of the discussion around online gaming and internet addiction.

Take part in this interactive discussion around the growing world of apps that students are using. Go being the scenes to hear the truth behind the apps and what dangers there are to those who use them

Many have asked some come and experience Fortnite for parents. Hear about details of the game and dive into parental settings for the various gaming systems students use to play online.

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Cafeteria and Menu Updates

Attached is a copy of the calendar menu, it may also be viewed on the district's website. Nutrition information may be viewed through the nutrition services website or by downloading the new Meal Viewer app through the apple or android store.

If you have questions about the Nutrition Services program, please call ext. 5615 or email julie.telesca@gcisd.net.

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Join the GCISD TEAM!

Great opportunities are available in our auxiliary departments:

Nutrition Specialists -PT w/ benefits – work while your students are in school!

KidzU Site Aides – PT w/benefits – great schedule for local college students!

GCISD - Building Excellent Schools Together

GCISD LEAD 2021- BUILDING EXCELLENT SCHOOLS TOGETHER!

The mission of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is to be THE BEST and through the district’s strategic plan, called LEAD 2021, we continue building on the foundation started in 2011-2012. LEAD stands for Leading Excellence – Action Driven. For more information about LEAD 2021, please visit the district website. We are excited about the new LEAD 2.0 and hearing from all parents! There are some exciting educational experiences going on in GCISD!

We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!

O.C. Taylor’s GRACE Food Drive

FIRST GRADE - IT’S YOUR TURN TO:

Support the GRACE Food Drive

February is First Grade’s turn to support the GRACE Food Drive

ITEMS IN NEED: Canned Fruit

Let’s bring in some healthy fruit for GRACE this month. From canned peaches, diced pears, mandarin oranges, to chopped pineapple, let’s give them a fruit cocktail they can’t resist. Collection Baskets are right outside the First Grade Classrooms and will be there until March 1st. So remember, the next time you are at the grocery store think fruit, fruit, and more fruit. Please bring in canned fruit only, as we are not able to accept perishables items.

We LOVE Our OCT Staff!!

Please help us show our teachers and staff some LOVE with some delicious treats at our Staff Appreciation Event on February 13th!

This is one of the staff's favorite events, as we treat them to a buffet of yummy chocolates and other sweets to enjoy throughout the day. This year we will have a Hot Chocolate Bar full of awesome toppings! Please sign up to bring an item for our wonderful staff (list what your item will be so we can be sure to have a variety). Please drop off your treats on February 13, 2019 from 7:15 - 8:15am.

Amazon Smile

Be sure to shop smileamazon.com. 0.5% of all your purchases will go to the OC Taylor PTA. Log on to smileamazon.com and select PTA Texas Congress 1610 O C Taylor Elementary as your preferred charity. It's an amazoningly easy way to earn money for our school!! Remember, you must log on to smileamazon.com every time you shop to ensure your purchases earn money for our school! In just 3 months short months, we made $44.51. Our next check should arrive soon!

Box Tops Fundraiser

It's a new semester and time for a new Box Top Racing to Recess Challenge! The winning grade level will earn an extra 30 minute recess! Clip out Box Tops for Education and place them on the Box Top Collection Sheet or in the Ziploc Bag that was sent home last semester. If you've already sent in that bag, just write your child's grade level on a new ziploc bag. Send your Box Tops in to your child's teacher or place them in the blue bin in the front lobby.

After 4 weeks, 2nd place has taken the lead with 127 box tops; Kinder is in 2nd place with 122, and 3rd grade has fallen into third place with 103. Be sure to send in those box tops that expire on 3/1/2019 no later than Thursday, February 28th!

APPLE TREE PROJECT

The O.C. Taylor Apple Tree has grown new branches! Teachers need items from the Apple Tree. Apple Tree is an easy way to donate items teachers and staff need at the school.

Simply click this link to see different "needs" around the school. If you choose to help, please make sure to mark as taken!Once taken, please send your item(s) to school with your child, attaching the name of the staff member for who it is intended.

Join the PTA!

Thank you to all our parents and staff that joined the PTA already! We truly appreciate your support!

If you did not join the PTA at Meet the Teacher, we encourage you to do so. The annual dues are only $7.50 per membership. That's the lowest price in town for PTA memberships and its the BEST, in my opinion! Membership in the PTA allows you to improve the education and opportunities for our students. When you join the PTA, you become a member of the Texas PTA and you will receive a copy of our 2018-2019 Paw Prints student directory! This valuable directory contains classroom lists, phone numbers, addresses and other vital information you will use all year! To join the PTA it's so simple, visit http://www.joinPTA.org.